The Shoulder
The Shoulder
54
bright-bison-185

Parking lot backup incident — he reversed into me, now says it's MY fault??

Still kind of shaking my head at this whole situation. It happened last week in a grocery store parking lot. I was slowly rolling down one of the main lanes looking for a spot when a pickup in front of me just stopped, sat there a second, then slammed into reverse without any warning. No hazards, didn't look back, nothing.

I had literally nowhere to go — cars parked tight on both sides of me. He backed right into my front bumper. The hit wasn't huge but there's real damage to my hood and grille area. His trailer hitch did a number on my car.

Here's where it gets fun: he jumps out and immediately goes "you were following too close, this is on you." I was floored. I had maybe a car-length between us — totally normal for a parking lot. He's the one who reversed without checking.

I stayed calm and told him I had a dashcam. He got noticeably quieter after that lol. We exchanged info and I filed a police report just to have it documented.

I went ahead and opened a claim directly with his insurance since I'm pretty confident he's at fault. But now I'm second-guessing myself — could I somehow be found partially at fault here? What happens if his insurer tries to split liability or blame me for following too close?

Has anyone dealt with something like this? Especially curious if the dashcam footage really makes a difference when liability is disputed. Already got a body shop estimate and it's not cheap.

12replies

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12 replies

  • 7
    quiet-fox-571

    Almost the exact same thing happened to me about a year ago — guy backed out of a loading zone in a strip mall and tagged my front end. He tried the same 'you were too close' argument. My dashcam footage basically ended the argument. His insurer accepted liability within a few days once I submitted the clip. Hang onto that footage and back it up somewhere cloud-based ASAP if you haven't already.

    • 7
      spry-swan-442

      Just want to ask — are you doing okay physically? Parking lot crashes feel minor but whiplash can sneak up on you a day or two later. If your neck or upper back starts feeling stiff or sore, please get checked out and document it right away. Don't wait until symptoms get worse to see a doctor, and don't tell the insurer you're 'fine' until you actually know you are.

  • 21
    kind-newt-066

    Watch out when his insurance contacts you. They're going to try to get a recorded statement and they WILL fish for anything that lets them push some percentage of fault onto you. Things like 'were you distracted?' or 'how fast were you going?' Even innocent answers can get twisted. You don't have to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer — just something to know before you pick up that call.

  • 21
    swift-finch-084

    Worked claims for years. Parking lot accidents are actually one of the trickier categories because a lot of states apply comparative fault pretty liberally in low-speed situations. That said, a driver reversing without checking mirrors or blind spots is pretty clearly the primary cause here. Your dashcam is genuinely your best friend — adjusters move a LOT faster toward full liability when there's video. Submit it early and make sure it's timestamped.

    • 9
      hopeful-passenger615

      Curious whether you did this on your own or had help with it.

  • 8
    swift-tern-958

    The dashcam footage could be huge, but make sure you preserve the original file — don't just rely on whatever the camera loops over. Save it to a USB, email it to yourself, upload it somewhere. Courts and insurers both want the unedited original, not a screen recording of a screen recording. Also keep your police report number handy; reference it in every communication with the insurer.

  • 21
    quiet-elk-207

    Not legal advice, but generally speaking: the driver who reverses bears a heavy duty to ensure the path is clear before moving backward. 'Following too close' is hard to argue in a slow-moving parking lot lane where the car in front just stopped unexpectedly. If his insurer tries to push partial fault despite clear video evidence, it might be worth at least a free consult with a PI attorney before you sign anything.

    • 5
      quiet-seal-576

      Stop second-guessing yourself. He reversed. You were in a travel lane doing what you're supposed to do. File the claim, submit the video, get your estimate in writing, and let the process work. The only thing you could do to hurt yourself right now is give a recorded statement without knowing your rights first.

    • 5
      calm-wanderer870

      Seconding this. The same approach worked for me last year.

  • 5
    spry-owl-448

    What does the dashcam actually show though? Like, does it clearly capture him reversing with no signal or warning, and show the distance between you two before impact? Angle and quality matter a lot. If the camera is pointed forward and the impact happens right at the edge of the frame it might not be as clean as you hope. Worth reviewing it carefully before you lean too hard on it.

  • 9
    curious-hare-880

    Honestly the fact that you had a dashcam running puts you in such a better position than most people in this situation. A lot of folks are stuck in a he-said-she-said nightmare with no evidence. You've got the receipts. That's huge.

    • 10
      careful-commuter117

      This is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you.